The Custom Home Technology Planning Checklist

Start with a Room List and a Responsibility List

Record what each room should do before choosing the equipment. A great room may need television viewing, background music, glare control and an evening lighting scene. Bedrooms may need local shade controls and a simple goodnight button. Outdoor spaces need their own audio, Wi-Fi, display and camera plan.

For each function, identify who designs it, who supplies it, who installs it and who confirms that it works with the rest of the home. Your builder, integrator, electrician, architect and interior designer may each own a different part of the detail.

• Great room: display position, speakers, furniture, viewing light and shades
• Kitchen and dining: task lighting, decorative fixtures, scene controls and music
• Bedrooms: bedside controls, shade power and privacy requirements
• Outdoor living: sun exposure, audio coverage, network pathways and equipment protection
• Equipment area: access, power, ventilation, internet entry and space for service

Decisions Before Electrical Plans

Determine the automation and lighting-control approach, shade strategy, equipment-room locations, service entry, major display and theater locations, indoor and outdoor audio zones, surveillance coverage, and the spaces that need Wi-Fi.

These choices affect electrical loads, panel space, keypad wiring, pockets, framing, cabinetry, ventilation, reflected ceilings, and exterior elevations.

• Select centralized, distributed, or hybrid lighting
• Reserve rack space, power, cooling, and clearance
• Coordinate shade pockets and power
• Identify displays, projectors, speakers, and subwoofers
• Plan cameras, gates, doors, and outdoor coverage

Resolve Fixtures, Drivers and Controls Together

A fixture layout is not yet a complete control plan. Ask the project team to identify each fixture and driver, the intended dimming or color functions, the compatible control equipment and the person responsible for confirming the combination. This is especially important when architectural fixtures, decorative pendants and linear lighting share a room.

For shades, early planning can reserve power and mounting space, but the final order still depends on measurements, fabric selection and finished conditions. Record whether each opening needs glare reduction, privacy, darkness or a combination; a view-through solar fabric should not be assumed to provide nighttime privacy.

• Reconcile lighting loads and control zones against the latest electrical plans
• Coordinate keypad positions and engraving with room entries and daily routines
• Check driver and control compatibility before equipment is ordered
• Confirm shade pockets, fascia, roll direction, power and service access

Decisions Before Framing and Rough-in

Confirm device heights and locations against elevations and interior drawings. Coordinate blocking, conduit, back boxes, speaker brackets, projector support, display recesses, rack access, and cable routes around structure and mechanical systems.

A field walkthrough with the builder, electrician, and integrator is valuable before wiring begins, especially when the plans have changed.

Decisions Before Drywall

Photograph and document wiring, verify critical cables, protect shade and lighting-control wiring, confirm equipment-room conditions, and resolve any pathways that were blocked during construction.

This is the final practical opportunity to correct many infrastructure problems without cutting finished surfaces.

Compare Proposals by Scope, Not Just Equipment Totals

Two proposals may name the same automation platform while covering different work. Compare the same room list, device locations, lighting loads, shade openings, audio zones and display requirements. Identify allowances, excluded construction work and equipment reserved for a later phase.

Ask how programming, system setup, homeowner training, documentation and ongoing service are handled. Confirm whether electrical power, blocking, conduit, finish repairs and network work sit in the integrator's scope or another trade's contract. A clear boundary helps the team budget the whole installation.

• Separate installed equipment from future provisions and allowances
• Confirm which compatible systems will actually be connected to the controls
• Identify the documents and training included at handoff
• Agree how changes to plans, products or room functions will be reviewed

Decisions Before Homeowner Handoff

Finalize keypad engravings, lighting scenes, user profiles, remote access, notifications, favorite sources, network names, service contacts, and training. The homeowner should receive clear controls and documentation—not only a collection of apps and passwords.